Rugby player banned after shouting 'get your baps out' at female referee | Wales Online

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A rugby player has been hit with a 32-week ban after shouting "get your baps out, ref" at a female referee while watching one of his club's matches.

Casey Johnson, a player for Ossett RUFC in West Yorkshire, has been suspended from spectating, playing or coaching rugby until March having admitted to shouting the "abhorrent and highly offensive" phrase during a match earlier this year, with a Rugby Football Union panel finding him to have engaged in "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union and the game".

The RFU hearing in June heard how the referee - whose identity has been kept anonymous - was left "shocked" by Johnson's actions, with her "heartbroken and angry" parents in the crowd also hearing the remarks. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.

Johnson was also charged with shouting "go on, show us your boobs" at the official, which he denied. However, the panel were content that this "made no different to the appropriate sanction".

The panel heard that Johnson was "intoxicated" at the time of the incident and that he "had no real explanation for why he shouted the phrase at the match official".

It also noted that he had "appreciated at the time that what he had said was inappropriate and had intended to apologise to the match official at the end of the game". However, he was advised not to do so by his friends, due to his intoxicated state.

During the hearing, the referee was praised for handling the situation "impeccably" and carrying on with the match, while she herself commended the response of both clubs in the swift action they took against Johnson.

Explaining what happened in her written testimony, the referee said: "I was approached by the Ossett coach after the game who told me that he had been made aware by my dad during the game of the nature of the comments that were being made.

"The coach profusely apologised and informed me that they had sent someone over during the game to speak to the spectators. After the game as I was walking to the changing rooms I was approached by the spectators' friends who apologised on his behalf... and also apologised to both of my parents at the end of the match.

"Once changed, I entered the clubhouse and approached the Ossett coach to get the name of the spectator. The coach returned two minutes later with their head coach, who had been watching the game, and the spectator's name.

"The head coach apologised on behalf of the spectator and the club and condemned the spectator's behaviour and called it unacceptable, 'disgusting', and assured me it did not represent the values of the club," she added.

"Whilst I don't condone what happened, and I wouldn't wish it upon any match official, I am glad that what started off as an uncomfortable and negative experience was made significantly better with the reactions and support that I've received both post-match and from people within the refereeing community."

Finding the incident to be a "top end" offence, the panel initially issued Johnson with a ban of 42 weeks. However, his remorse and acceptance of the charge "at the earliest opportunity", together with his clean disciplinary record, saw his suspension reduced by 33 per cent to 28 weeks.

Applying a mandatory four week increase as per the guidelines on match official abuse issued by the RFU's Head of Judiciary last year, Johnson has been banned from playing, coach or spectating for 32 weeks, although this does not include mid-week training. He has also been made to pay £125 in costs.

"It goes without saying that such a phrase shouted to a woman has no place in society, including rugby, and it plainly goes against rugby's core values," the panel concluded.

"It has the very real potential to impact on the participation of women in rugby (whether as a match official, player, coach or spectator) and cannot and must not be tolerated.

"Female participation in rugby (whether playing, coaching, refereeing or spectating) is fundamental to the values of rugby union and a vital element of the game.

"That participation is put at risk by actions such as those of [Johnson] here and it is the responsibility of everyone involved in rugby to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that such actions are removed from the game."